Come To Me (Owned Book 3) by Mary Catherine Gebhard

where I’d knocked her bottles.
    “I’m not enabling you any more,” I said through gritted teeth.
    Lenny laughed, a bitter sound like wind caught in a tunnel. “I’m sorry that I refuse to continue to hide behind the paper screens you concoct with delicate words, Vic. This is our life. It’s ugly. It’s messy. It’s probably going to kill us. Deal with it or get the fuck out.” She bent over to pick up her pills and gestured to the door with the same motion, not even bothering to look at me.
    “Gladly.” I walked out of the room, heading to my “secret lair” as Lenny called it. In reality, it was just an office with a few extra gadgets. I guess I’d be spending the night there, waiting for information on what END planned to do with me, instead of hiding behind paper screens.

 
     
    I ’m hungry.
    I’m cold.
    I found some white powder that doesn’t taste real good, but when I mixed it with water it almost reminded me of cookie dough. I can’t even remember the last time I had cookie dough, but if I pretend hard enough, the white stuff tastes like it. If I eat enough, my stomach doesn’t hurt so much.
    Mama was angry again so I hid in the cupboards. She doesn’t look for me there. Still, I’m scared. She bangs on the counter and knocks over the chairs when she’s like this. The noises are loud and remind me of thunderstorms.
    She’s eaten the candy again and it’s made her mad. I did my best to hide it from her, but she found it. She always finds it. When she found out I hid it from her, she hit me upside the head. I ran to the pantry when she took a break from beatin’ me and have been here ever since.
    I hoped there would be some food in the cupboards but there was nothing, nothing but dust and a jug of something blue. I seen how Mama used the blue stuff to clean one day, the one day the lady comes, so I know not to eat it.
    I used to wish Mama would share her candy. It reminded me of the rock candy Mama used to buy when she’d get her cigarettes. Now Mama doesn’t leave so she doesn’t buy me candy no more. I used to wish she’d share her candy cause all I have to eat is white powder and sometimes old nuggets, if the neighbors throwed it out in the trash.
    Now I don’t wish she’d share. I tried some of it and Mama hit me so hard I couldn’t see for days. Still, that’s not why I don’t want it. I don’t want it cause when Mama eats the candy she is no longer my Mama. Tonight Mama’s had candy so I’ll sleep in the pantry, because it’s safer than my bed.
    I woke up with a start, neck sore from the way I’d slept. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get the errant dream from my head. It felt more like a memory than a dream. It was still early in the morning, the sun hanging low on the horizon, but I had an urge to go check on Lenny and make sure she was sleeping well. The night before she’d banged on the door, yelling that she was going to sleep downstairs in the spare room. By the time I’d opened the door to tell her it was unnecessary, her figure was retreating down the stairs.
    Even while Lenny and I were separated, I was never far from her. I used GEM resources to make sure she was always safe. Always. Now I was home, but I’d never felt farther away.
    I stood to go check just as my computer beeped, a red alert bubble unopened in the corner. I looked at the bubble waiting to be popped, and then at my door. Rationally I knew Lenny was safe asleep downstairs, but that didn’t calm the gnawing in my gut. That would only settle once I saw her red hair on the pillowcase. The bubble dinged again, and I bent over to quickly read the message.
    Vic: This came across my desk. Thought you might like to know.
    –Charlie
    I opened the attachment and absorbed the information. I don’t know what I’d been expecting. Charlie wouldn’t have messaged me if it wasn’t important. We weren’t exactly pen pals. We didn’t send gifs in our spare time. I should have put it all together before I